1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus in a machine to dispense gumballs or other near spherical objects from a reservoir wherein a game is played with one of the balls as a rolling play object prior to its being dispensed and another one of the same balls is dispensed as a prize for success in playing the game. The apparatus provides for release of balls from a temporary holding chamber in such manner as to prevent disruption of the release protocol by tilting or shaking of the machine.
2. Description of Related Art
The following patents show a mechanism in a vending device which has a configuration which appears to resemble a paddle wheel or a portion of a paddle wheel.
Some of these patents describe an amusement device or disclose devices which have both an amusement function and a dispensing function. In many the amusement feature involves playing a game and in some the game is played with a rolling ball on a sloping playfield.
But the patents and other disclosures discussed below do not show the object which is awarded as a prize for ability in playing the game as being first used as a projectile in playing the game and especially not as a rolling ball type of projectile in the playing of the game. None shows the vending of the playing pieces, either as the principal object to be achieved by the user in response to insertion of a coin or as prizes or both.
2,003,349 issued Nov. 23, 1933 to Dumble PA1 2,103,744 issued Dec. 28, 1937 to Dumble PA1 3,814,429 issued Jun. 4, 1974 to Lienhard PA1 3,899,170 issued Aug. 12, 1975 to Parks PA1 4,235,438 issued Nov. 25, 1980 to Hally PA1 4,322,082 issued Mar. 30, 1982 to Peters
The first Dumble patent shows in FIGS. 3 and 4 a single blade 90 mounted rotatably on a horizontal axis to receive a ball through aperture 40 whereby it is moved rotatably to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 4 whereby blade 90 then supports the ball as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4.
When it is desired to release the ball the plate 40 is moved (without rotation) slidably to the left to cause the mechanism to occupy the position shown in dashed lines at 93 in FIG. 4 and allow the ball to drop through tube 92. The mechanism may then be reset by moving plate 40 slidably to the right so that member 90 rotates in the opposite direction (counter clockwise) to the position which it originally occupied in FIG. 3.
The first Dumble patent shows also the vending of a mint candy (column 1, line 49) in response to inserting a coin combined with making the pinball playfield available to the player but the mint candy is not dispensed in response to achieving some pinball score nor is another candy available until another coin is inserted.
The second Dumble patent shows an identical or nearly identical mechanism.
The Lienhard patent shows a target mechanism which includes two blades 23 and 24 extending at about 90 degrees to each other from a horizontal pivot wire 21. When the target leaf 24 is struck by a flying projectile, the blades are rotated clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4 whereupon the device is retained in this position by the action of magnet 28 on armature 27 which is attached to blade or leaf 24.
The blades are reset to the position shown in FIG. 23 by rotation of pivot wire 21 to move them rotatable in the opposite direction (counter clockwise).
The patents issued to Parks, Hally and Peters show wheels mounted rotatably to rotate on horizontal axes wherein the wheels each have blades extending therefrom. But in each case there are just two blades. And the wheels serve no purpose other that to provide extending blades or leaves which may be struck by projectiles.
Thus, in none of these disclosed mechanisms does a ball rest at any time in supported relationship on a laterally extending blade.
None of these patents shows the vending as prizes of balls from the same reservoir as the playing pieces.
None of the patents or other disclosures discussed above suggests or teaches the claimed invention.